Numbers 30: Edit history

After the regulations in Numbers 28–29 on the offerings for each appointed feast, chapter 30 addresses vows (voluntary promises to God to do something) and oaths. The Hebrew text numbers Numbers 29:40 of the Korean Revised Version as 30:1, so the verse numbers in this chapter run one higher in Hebrew than in that version. Chapter 31 continues with the account of the war against Midian.

Outline

• Verses 1–2 Moses relays the LORD's command to the heads of the tribes. A man who makes a vow or swears an oath to bind his soul with a bond must not break his word. He must do all that proceeds out of his mouth.
• Verses 3–5 If a young woman in her father's house makes a vow and her father hears it and says nothing, the vow stands. If her father disallows it on the day he hears it, the vow becomes void, and the LORD forgives her.
• Verses 6–8 If a woman who is under a vow marries and her husband disallows the vow on the day he hears it, the vow becomes void.
• Verse 9 A widow or a divorced woman must keep her own vow.
• Verses 10–15 If a wife living in her husband's house makes a vow and her husband hears it and remains silent, the vow is confirmed. If he forbids it on the day he hears it, the vow becomes void. If he annuls it some time after hearing it, he bears his wife's iniquity.
• Verse 16 The chapter closes by stating that these are the statutes concerning a husband and his wife, and a father and his young daughter in his house.

Key Verses

• Numbers 30:2 "He shall not break his word, he shall do according to all that proceedeth out of his mouth." This verse states the basic principle governing vows.
• Numbers 30:5 "The LORD shall forgive her." This verse makes clear that the woman does not bear responsibility when her vow has been annulled.
• Numbers 30:15 "He shall bear her iniquity." This verse shows that if the husband lets the proper time for annulment pass, the responsibility falls on him.

People and Places

• Moses: The leader who conveys the LORD's commands to Israel.
• The heads of the tribes: The leaders of the twelve tribes of Israel, who are the first to hear this command.
• The chapter names no place. The narrative that runs from chapter 22 is set on the plains of Moab, across the Jordan River opposite Jericho.

Points for Reflection

• The "binding oath" is commonly interpreted as a promise to practice self-denial, such as fasting. The phrase "to afflict the soul" in verse 13 is the same expression as "afflict your souls" in the regulations for the Day of Atonement (Leviticus 16:29).
• Interpreters differ on the provision that a father or husband may annul a woman's vow.
• Some read it as a safeguard that protected women and households from rash vows in an ancient society in which the head of the household was responsible for its affairs.
• Others see it as an ancient patriarchal institution that reflected the different status of men and women.
• In Judaism, this chapter became the basis for the discussion in Nedarim ("Vows"), a tractate of the Mishnah, the compilation of Jewish oral law.
• The teaching that vows must be paid also appears in Ecclesiastes 5:4–5 and Deuteronomy 23:21–23.
• The chapter connects to the New Testament in the following passages:
• Jesus taught, "Swear not at all" (Matthew 5:33–37; see also James 5:12).
• Jesus criticized the practice of Corban (Mark 7:11–13).
• Paul is recorded as having taken a vow (Acts 18:18).
• Christian traditions also differ on oaths. The Quaker and Anabaptist traditions read Jesus' teaching as a rejection of oaths altogether. The Reformed tradition, including the Westminster Confession of Faith, affirms lawful oaths and vows.

In the Korean Church

In Korean Protestant churches, preachers frequently cite verse 2 together with Ecclesiastes 5:4–5 in sermons on vow prayers and vow offerings. These preachers use the verse to teach that vows should be made with care and, once made, must be kept. At the same time, some have criticized the practice of placing excessive emphasis on vow offerings.